GTEs convert the potential energy associated with air and fuel into energy primarily in the form of mechanical rotation and heat. A conventional GTE may include a compressor assembly, a combustor assembly, and a turbine assembly. During operation, air is drawn into the compressor assembly where it is compressed and supplied to the combustor assembly. The combustor assembly supplies fuel to the compressed air and ignites compressed air and fuel. Once ignited, the compressed air and fuel undergoes combustion, which increases the velocity of the combustion products. The combustion products are supplied to the turbine assembly, where expansion of the combustion products through the turbine assembly causes a turbine to rotate. The turbine may be coupled to the compressor assembly and one or more systems that use the rotational energy and/or thermal energy developed by the turbine. For example, a GTE may be used to supply energy to power machines, such as airplanes, locomotives, boats, ships, trucks, automobiles, electric generators, pumps, or other machines configured to perform work.
The combustion of fuel by conventional GTEs results in a desire to increase the efficiency of combustion and reduce the undesirable emissions resulting from combustion of the fuel. Moreover, high temperatures generated in the combustor assembly can lead to high maintenance if such high temperatures are not controlled. In particular, temperature gradients may exist in the combustor assembly that result different parts of the combustor assembly expanding by different amounts. If such thermal expansion is not accounted for in the combustor assembly design, it might lead to a reduced useful life of the combustor assembly and/or the GTE. The control of high temperatures according to some conventional methods, however, may result in the reduced efficiency and/or increased emission of undesirable by-products of combustion, such as, for example, greenhouse gases.
A combustor having a liner support assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,732 (“the '732 patent”) issued to Halila. The '732 patent discloses a support assembly for a gas turbine engine combustor, including an annular frame having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart tenons. An annular combustor liner is disposed coaxially with the frame and includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart tenons circumferentially adjoining respective ones of the frame tenons for radially and tangentially supporting the liner to the frame, while allowing unrestrained differential thermal radial movement between the liner and frame.
Although the liner support assembly disclosed in the '732 patent may assist in supporting the combustor liner in the combustor, the liner support assembly may permit movement of, for example, the outer liner relative to the outer frame and the dome assembly. Such movement may render it problematic to accurately and consistently position the internal components of the combustor, which result in unintended gaps between the outer liner and the outer frame. Such gaps may result in reduced efficiency of the combustion process and/or combustor cooling, and/or an increase in undesirable emissions.
The systems and methods described in an exemplary manner in the present disclosure may be directed to mitigating or overcoming one or more of the potential drawbacks set forth above.